Highlights

An RSS functionary said this would be the “last Dharm Sabha in Ayodhya” after which there would be “no more Dharm Sabhas, and construction of Ram temple would begin”

AYODHYA/VARANASI/LUCKNOW: A tense Ayodhya is bracing for RSS workers, many dressed as Lord Shiva and wielding tridents, who will be marching into the temple town on Sunday, November 25, for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Dharm Sabha, adding to the VHP workers who will be pouring in.

According to claims by sources in the two outfits, 1 lakh RSS workers and 1 lakh VHP workers will converge on the town. Contingents of sadhus and seers are also expected.

VHP organisers say they are preparing three lakh food packets for Sunday’s event where Hindu far-right workers, sevaks and sainiks are being brought together for a massive and belligerent show of strength months before the Lok Sabha election of 2019 in a big push to the BJP government at the Centre to move on the Ram temple issue.

Even slogans have been suitably tweaked, with the Shiv Sena calling for “pehle mandir phir sarkar” and VHP going from “mandir wahin banaenge” to “mandir jaldi banaenge”.

Section 144 has been clamped in the town amid reports of the minority community feeling unsafe. VHP sources said rumours that minority groups were leaving town were being spread to “derail their movement for a Ram temple in Ayodhya”. On Friday, the district administration and local police officials took rounds of Muslim-dominated areas to assure the community of their safety.

With an apprehensive eye on the turnout over the two days, special security arrangements are in place though both the Shiv Sena and VHP have said they will take “responsibility” for their supporters. A senior RSS functionary said this would be the “last Dharm Sabha in Ayodhya” after which there would be “no more Dharm Sabhas, and construction of Ram temple would begin”.

The government has posted ADG (Lucknow zone) Ashutosh Pandey and IG (Jhansi) SS Baghel as two special officers to oversee security. Paramilitary troops, state intelligence and police officials were all in position by Friday, the town divided into eight zones and 16 sectors with a senior gazetted officer in each zone and sector. Sensitive points have been barricaded. Besides, 20 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary, seven companies of paramilitary and two RAF companies are also on duty.

A senior RSS pracharak in Varanasi said, “Around 1,322 buses and 1,546 four-wheelers will ferry 80,000 workers. Alongside will be 14,000 workers on motorcycles, and 15,000 workers will reach Ayodhya by train — the bulk from UP.”

The Shiv Sena, for its show of strength, is expecting around 3,000-4,000 sainiks in its five special trains from Thane. Ayodhya is awash in Sena’s saffron banners and the party is expecting its 22 MPs and 62 MLAs to attend the two-day event for which it had booked entire hotels in and around Ayodhya about a month ago.

Uddhav Thackeray and his son will be landing in Faizabad on two separate chartered flights around 2pm on Saturday. He will meet seers and perform Saryu aarti in the evening. On Sunday, he will visit Ramjanmabhoomi and leave for Mumbai around 3pm.

VHP’s Dharm Sabha will start near its headquarters Karsewakpuram around 2pm. VHP sent its cadres to even remote temples across a dozen districts around Ayodhya, about 500 in all, to attend the Dharm Sabha. Over a lakh, including seers, are expected at the venue — Bade Bhaktmal ki Bagiya.

Sources said that the decision to reach out to remote areas was taken after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat pitched for a law to pave the way for Ram temple’s construction in Ayodhya. RSS sources said senior RSS leaders, including Sahkaryawah Bhaiyyaji Joshi, have been monitoring the preparations and strategy to mobilise people.